Trials
by LovelyxIrony
Summary: Sequel to "Time Heals". As the team falls apart all around them, Ianto struggles to forgive Jack and to accept that one day he's going to be left behind for good. Horrible summary, sorry!
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Trials

**Author:** LovelyxIrony

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** Sequel to "Time Heals". As the team falls apart all around them, Ianto struggles to forgive Jack and to accept that one day he's going to be left behind for good. Horrible summary, sorry!

**Author's Note:** Not terribly happy with the title or summary, so both will probably change at sometime in the future...  
Also, thank you to **spacemonkey52 **for correcting me on how long Jack was gone - apparently, I need to watch "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" over again xD.

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**Chapter One**

_"Hey kids, did ya miss me?"_

The instant those words had slipped out of Captain Jack Harkness's lips, followed by his typical cocky grin, Ianto Jones had wanted to walk right up to the man and punch him. _Hard_. Instead of giving in to the furious desire, he squared his shoulders and tightened his grip on the gun as the Welshman slowly lowered it. His eyes never left the face of his formerly missing boss, an odd mixture of relief and fury coursing through him when Jack finally glanced his way.

Their gazes remained locked for a few moments before Ianto glanced away, moving to slide his weapon back into its place. There was a rustle beside him and he glanced over to see Gwen frowning at Jack before she looked sideways at him. Next to Ianto, she'd been the most furious with their boss suddenly abandoning the team. Unlike Ianto, Gwen had verbally expressed her anger all the year. Constantly and _extremely_ loudly. He watched as Gwen cleared her throat before she spoke, hands resting on her hips. "Ianto, would you mind taking the body out to the car?"

Glancing down, Ianto stared at the body of the fishman (laughing inside at how bizarre that sounded) before he gave a slight nod. "Of course." He turned away from all of them to properly face the body, glad to finally have a real reason to not look Jack in the face. Sliding his arms underneath the alien's, Ianto staggered up and attempted to swing the body up into his arms. That, unfortunately, resulted in him nearly falling over and cursing under his breath with an irritated sigh. A second or two later, and some of the weight lifted. Ianto glanced up, catching sight of Jack heaving up the legs of the body in an attempt to help, and the Welshman had to force himself to not glare. Instead, he glanced away and started to walk backward carefully, exiting the house and heading toward the car, all the while avoiding any eye contact with the captain.

When they reached the car, Ianto carefully guided the body of the fishman into the back. He reached toward one of the tarps they kept in back just in case something like this ever happened, and tugged it over the body to conceal it. A hand on Ianto's shoulder made him tense and he glared at the tarp as though it was the source of all his problems. He decided to ignore Jack - or, at least, he tried to until the older man tugged and turned him around. The glare on Ianto's face intensified for a moment, halting when he caught sight of the look on Jack's face. It was somehow off, that bright grin he was giving him. There was a darkness in his eyes, as well, that made the younger man want to flinch back. "Ianto, can we talk?" Jack was searching his eyes - for what, Ianto didn't know - but the Welshman impatiently jerked his shoulder out of the other man's hold. He turned back to the car, slamming the back shut with a little more force than necessary.

"Later, sir."

As he turned back around, Ianto caught the startled look on Jack's face at the title the Welshman hadn't used in a while. The startled expression quickly turned to a slight hint of annoyance. "Why not now?" The captain shifted, sliding his hands into his pockets as he spoke. He kept his blue eyes focused on Ianto's, gaze never wavering as he waited for the Welshman's reply. His eyes were intense, the darkness still there but more hidden now.

"Because, in case you haven't noticed, _sir_, we've got a job to do." Ianto returned, keeping his own voice subdued and bored. Irritation was swirling inside of him, that Jack thought he could just come back and act like everything was how it was before. Well, it couldn't, and Ianto wasn't about to pretend. Jack had been gone for _three bloody months_, and it seemed like he just expected the younger man to hug him and say everything was alright between them. The thought made him want to laugh and cry at the same time.

Jack was staring at him, his expression a strange mix of sadness and agitation. Ianto simply stared back before he brushed passed his boss to return into the house with the rest of the time. The older man's voice stopped him halfway there. "What the hell is wrong with you, Ianto?"

At this, Ianto scowled and turned. "If you can't figure that out by yourself, sir, than you're a lot more thick than I thought." With those final words, he turned on his heel and walked into the house, ignoring the attention that was suddenly focused on him by Owen, Tosh, and Gwen. He waited until they started to pack up and then slid a hand over his eyes and tilted his head back, releasing a hoarse, shaky breath. Ianto stood there for a moment more before dropping his hand and turning to head into the SUV, head held high.

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**R&R please and thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so terribly sorry about the long delay, it's been crazy! Chapters will be coming far more quickly now (and will also be getting much longer), considering I got _Torchwood_ Season 2 and _Children Of Earth_ for Christmas, so I'll be more inspired to write more, and when I can't quite remember what happened next, I have season 2 to watch over again. Enjoy!**

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Chapter Two

During the trip back, Ianto had thought that he'd never find someone more irritating than Captain Jack Harkness. And then, a few hours after the man had returned, he'd been introduced to someone who had proved Ianto completely wrong. Captain John Hart was annoying, arrogant, and on more than one occasion Ianto had felt the urge to either knee or kick him where it would kill. Therefore, it didn't really surprise the Welshman all that much that both captains had worked together in the past.

After having to endure them flirting, he'd slunk down into the archives to sort through items he hadn't properly checked in from the past week (more to take his mind off everything before he went mental). Sliding some type of stun gun Owen had found on an alien that had crashed into the ocean into an evidence bag, Ianto bent down to scribble the needed information on the white strip on top of the bag, not paying any attention to the sudden sound of footsteps behind him. It wasn't until he heard a cheerful, "_hello, Eyecandy_" that the Welshman turned abruptly with a slight, disapproving scowl aimed at Hart.

He forced it back, swallowing heavily, although Ianto's eyes narrowed just slightly. "Can I help you, sir?"

"_Sir_?" Hart gave a bark of laughter, tilting his head back. "I can see another reason he likes you." The man settled his hands on his hips, sharp gaze suddenly falling onto the Welshman who fought the urge to nervously shuffle backwards. That was the difference between Jack and this man - Hart carried a type of malevolence with him that Ianto couldn't see in his boss. "Tell me, Mister Jones, how do _you_ feel about him?"

Ianto was fairly sure he could see a threat forming in Hart's eyes, a dangerous promise that the man intended to carry through if Ianto didn't choose his words carefully. Although, as far as Ianto was considered, if he could handle monsters and cannibals and every other horrible thing he'd faced since joining Torchwood, he could handle one man. How ever unstable he happened to be. "I don't see how that is any of your business."

Turning on the spot, Ianto looked back down on the evidence bag, trying to ignore the presence of the man behind him. It failed, however, when two hands slammed down on either side of him and a body pressed hard against Welshman's back. Clenching his own hands into fists, Ianto glanced over to where he'd laid down his weapon with an itching desire to snatch it back up, tensing when Hart leaned closer and started to mutter into his ear.

"Listen to me, Eyecandy." The sarcastic playfulness that had been in that incredibly stupid nickname had vanished, making it sound more chilling and deadly. "Jack is _mine_. He might not acknowledge it, but he is. Go anywhere near him, and I'll have no qualms about snapping that pretty neck of yours."

Ianto gritted his teeth, hand twitching slightly as he considered making a grab for the gun. Before he could make up his mind, the intercom in his ear flicked on and Tosh's voice sounded. "Ianto, Jack wants us all up here now."

He felt Hart pull away, imagining the smirk on the man's lips before he took a deep breath. "I'll be right up."

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**R&R please and thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three :D. This chapter, plus the next couple, are just going to focus on Jack and Ianto, with absolutely no focus on a particular episode. It's basically going to be between the first and second episode of the second season. Anyway, enjoy :D!**

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Chapter Three

The depature of John Hart couldn't have been more of a relief for Ianto, but he now found himself facing a new, more terrifying crisis. He gazed at himself in the mirror with a small scowl, fiddling with the tie around his neck before discarding it onto his bed to join the six other ties that he'd tried on that morning. A small grimace slipped across Ianto's lips as he felt for a moment as though he was going to be sick, pushing a hand roughly through his hair and sending it into a disordered mess.

He never would have thought that an offer of a date from Jack Harkness could reduce him to this.

_Acting like some bloody school girl who just got asked out on her first date._ Ianto shook his head, continuing to gaze into the mirror. The Welshman had a feeling that no matter what he did, it would look like nothing when Jack came to pick him up. With a great sigh and a grumble, Ianto turned to once again start digging through his closet in search of something that Jack would actually _like_.

Not that Ianto was at all sure why he was putting so much effort into it. Jack had commented time and time again since he'd hired Ianto that he found him "ravishing" in a suit. So a suit was clearly his top choice, but Ianto wasn't entirely sure what suit Jack liked best on him.

_There you go again._

"Shut up." Ianto muttered half heartedly, dismissing the fact that he was talking to himself and finally selecting the suit to wear. It was the red one, and Ianto had noted a few times that Jack tended to stare at him more often when he wore that particular one. In silence, Ianto regarded it for a moment or two before quickly changing, glancing nervously over at the clock.

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Of course, Ianto had been proven right.

It was both annoying and wonderful that Jack could look fantastic in anything he wore. He'd actually bothered to change into a simple suit, although the slightly uncomfortable look on the captain's face had told Ianto it wasn't something he typically wore for dates. When Ianto answered the door, he found himself staring at Jack, worrying on his lower lip for a few seconds. He'd expected the man to be wearing his usual outfit, so this came as a rather nice surprise.

Jack's voice interrupted him, the uncomfortable look replaced with one of deep amusement. The all too familiar grin was back on his lips, one eyebrow raised. "Finished staring yet, Yan?"

Not realizing that he'd indeed been staring longer than was usually appropriate, the Welshman felt his face heat up and he gave an awkward cough. "Uh. Right. Just give me a moment." He turned quickly, trying to cover up his embarrasment with difficulty and reaching toward where he'd left his suit jacket. Ianto dragged it on and then turned back to face Jack, who had made himself comfortable by leaning against the doorframe.

That insufferable grin was still on his lips, but now he was the one doing the looking, his eyes apparently having just roamed over Ianto's backside. "I'd nearly forgotten how good you look in a suit." His eyes flew to the shirt Ianto had on, and the blue of his eyes darkened slightly. "_Especially_ in that one."

"Glad to have your approval, sir." Ianto said dryly, although a smile was twitching at the corners of his lips. He moved forward, laying one hand on Jack's chest. The look on the other man's face told Ianto he was expecting a kiss, but the Welshman merely pushed Jack back gently through the door, turning around and locking it instead of giving into the temptation to kiss Jack.

This time, Ianto was determined to move their relationship along slowly. He wasn't going to rush headlong into it again. Not with the risk of Jack disappearing again.

He turned just in time to catch the disappointed look quickly erase itself from Jack's face. Sighing softly and moving forward, Ianto pressed his lips against Jack's quickly, moving back before the older man had much time to return the chaste kiss. Clearing his throat, the Welshman pushed a hand through his hair. "Where are we going?"

Jack's grin was back, and he shrugged, moving to slip his arm around Ianto's waist. "You'll see. It's a surprise."

"...It had better not be an office."

Tilting his head back, the captain barked out a laugh and shook his head, leading Ianto toward the car.

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**As usual, R&R please and thank you!**


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